20 June 2015

Quebec sign law would add touch of French to global chains like Walmart

In a review of the matter from as far back as 2000, the Conseil supérieur de la langue francaise, an advisory body, noted that a trademark registered by a Canadian company with the federal government has recognition and protection the world over thanks to intellectual property agreements between Ottawa and other countries.

It noted there had been an increase in companies getting around language laws by seeking to trademark their English name. But these same protections ensure that Montreal's world famous Cirque du Soleil isn't forced to call itself Sun Circus when it pitches a tent for shows in Las Vegas.

“It is difficult to call into question a global legal process that began more than 100 years ago,” the Conseil noted in its review, adding that China considered forcing companies to translate their trademarked names but eventually gave up.